Manuka facts

Pfund Colour Grading System

Honey is a natural product that varies from season to season. High quality Mānuka honey should however have some colour consistency, so you can trust its purity. To ensure our Mānuka honey is consistent in colour we use the pfund Colour Grading System.

This system uses a photometer to measure the wavelengths of light that can pass through the honey (measured in millimetres). A higher rated Mānuka Honey will typically have a richer, darker colour.

In terms of aroma, Mānuka honey exhibits scents of damp earth, heather and wood. Its flavour varies from a mild, earthy taste (e.g. UMF® 5+) to strong and slightly-bitter at higher levels (e.g. UMF® 20+). This variation is a result of bees collecting a range of different nectar sources.

Quality Mānuka honey also has a different texture or consistency to other honeys. It is known as a thixotropic liquid which means it thickens, regardless of temperature. This is what gives Mānuka honey its jelly-like appearance.

The higher the level of Mānuka honey, the more this consistency will be shown.